AUGUST 2017 THE RIDER /51


website fill it out and scan and email to president@bertiewilloughbysaddleclu- binc,name and then pay the day of the show


September 10 http://londondressage.com/


London Dressage Association


Aug. 19, Sept. 16, Sept. 30 (rain date if needed) Want to try mounted games? Temporary memberships are available; good for 1 show/year! Follow us on facebook at Mounted Games Canada Ontario. A great way to send us your questions and keep up to date on all our events. Visit Website: www.mount- edgamescanada.com


Equine Mounted Games Canada – On- tario Region Show Dates


Shows held at the Aylmer Fair Grounds: Shows - August 20, September 17. For more information contact us at www.rusty- gaits.ca or find us on Facebook.


Rusty Gaits Saddle Club


2017 TENTATIVE MWHS HORSE SHOWS (Revised January 26, 2017) Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Septem- ber 15, 16 & 17 - WESTERN FAIR MWHS Agriplex, Western Fair District, London?? Judge: Saturday, September 23 - FOREST FAIR MWHS SHOW Forest Fairgrounds. Judge: Kris Simpson, Guelph Sunday, October 1 - ILDERTON FAIR MWHS SHOW Ilderton Fairgrounds. Judge: Mike Rapley, Simcoe October 7 - BRIGDEN FAIR MWHS SHOW Brigden Fairgrounds. Judge: Rick Storey, Peterborough October 8 - BRIGDEN FAIR MWHS SHOW Brigden Fairgrounds. Judge: Tom Ramey, Wilsonville Respectively Submitted, Ken McLellan.


Mid-Western Horseman’s Society Port Colborne Saddle Club


Shows are held at the Humberstone Cen- ntennial Park, located at 2684 Vimy Road Port Colborne. Entry booth opens at 8 30 am. Show starts at 9 30am. Show dates: August 13, August 27. For more informa- tion please call show manager Aaron Buttigieg at 905 357 8788, or Publicity Amber Gilbert at 905 321 8260 or email her at ambergilbert80@gmail com or the show secretary Pat Wiley, 905 932 6540 or email her at patriciawiley53@gmail.com. V


www.portcolbornesaddleclubinc,bravesite s.com


August 12, Sept. 9. Rain dates: June 17, August 19. Start time: 10:00 am Held at the Rockton Fair Grounds. www.facebook.com/groups/6418140682 1


Rockton Saddle Club


2017 Windsor Essex Cadora Competition Dates Are As Follows: August 27, Entries due Aug.18 @ 6pm September 17, Entries due Sept. 8 @ 6pm Visit www.wecadora.ca


All Rides Leave At 10am Sharp: August 18-21 - Dufferin Forest/Mansfield Tract. Don Ruttan, 519-335-6948 September 2-3 - Bob’s Ride Ayton. Bob Butler, 519-665-7870 September Ralph’s Ride – Blyth. Ralph Campbell 519-523-9614 c 519-357-5328 NOT Confirmed September 16-17 - Herman’s Ride - Luc- know. Call John at 519-955-1286 October 6-9 - Helmut’s Ride - Newmarket – Helmut Hitscherich, 905-473-9329 October 7-9 - John’s Lucknow Fall Ride – Please call John to confirm your spot. 519-955-1286 For more information visit - www.ches- leysaddleclub.ca


2017 Chesley Saddle Club Ride Schedule 2017


The Welsh Summer Classic - July 15th at Welsh Pony and Cob Association


QSLB Cadora August 19 – Silver/Gold Show (Doornekamp, Odessa) August 20 – ESD/Bronze Show (Doornekamp, Odessa) Visit www.qslbcadora.ca


Ancaster Fairgrounds, September 19 & 20, 2017. Starting at 8am. For more informa- tion please contact; Jack Vanderkooy 519- 933-6119


Ontario Friesian Horse Association Keuring


info@ontariofriesianhorse.com or


Bertie Willoughby Saddle Club Shows are held at the Humberstone Cen- ntenial Park located at 2864 Vimy Road in Port Colborne; Entry booth opens at 8:30am Show starts at 9:30 am. Show dates: August 20. raindate is September 10, New this year is Pre Entries will be ac- ceptd simply print an entry form from the


i s i t


TLC Quarter Horses, Hillsburg, ON. For prize list and entry forms, please visit https://wpcao.com The Canadian All Welsh Championship and Sport Pony Show - August 6th at Pick- ering Horse Centre, Pickering ON. Other Welsh Pony & Cob high points shows are held at the following locations: September 9th - Arthur Fair September 17th - Brampton Fair September 24th - Lindsay Exhibition September 30th - Markham Fair October 7th - Erin Fall Fair For more information about welsh shows, please check out: http://wpcao.com/events


CLINICS August 25 - 27 - 3 day Andrea Anderson Liberty Clinic , Drury Horse Park, Barrie, ON Spend 3 days with Andrea Anderson learn- ing the art of liberty training with your horse. The strongest bond between you and your horse can be created by learning Andrea’s Toolbox Exercises and the foun- dation behind them. The clinic is now full but auditors welcome - $40 for a day or $35 each for multiple days. For more in- formation, see www.facebook.com/Drury- HorsePark/.


705-720-1069 or laura_abaker@yahoo.ca. September 20 - 24 - 5 day Jimmy Ander- son Fall Clinic. Drury Horse Park, Barrie, ON Helping people and their horses achieve their dreams, Jim & Andrea Anderson show us how to develop a true partnership through Natural Horsemanship and posi- tive understanding. Limit of 16 partici- p


www.facebook.com/DruryHorsePark. Contact Laura at: 705-720-1069 or laura_abaker@yahoo.ca.


dimac99@hotmail.com Pony Championship Star Search Qualifier 11 am or later Sun.: Western Horse Show 10:30. Games classes 2 pm or later. Shannon Nelson, 519-313-1257


FALL FAIRS Sept 9 and 10 - Arthur Fall Fair Horse Shows Sat.: Welsh + open Pony Provincial Cham- pionship show 9am. Diana Macdonald,


519-400-7675, 2017 Schedule


(derbies include 3’/3’6” sections except as noted) Eastern Qualifiers


Sept 21 - 24 - Ancaster Fall Fair. Canadian Cowgirls show. 3 nights of Demolition Derby, Ultimate Cowboy Challenge on Saturday. Horses - Minis, haflingers, 4H, Hunter, Heavy Horses, Roadsters Visit www.ancasterfair.ca for more info.


Kawartha Appaloosa Horse Club Sept. 2 - North American Appaloosa


$5,000 Canadian Hunter Derby - Angelstone - Aug 18 $5,000 Canadian Hunter Derby - Angelstone - Aug 25 $5,000 Canadian Hunter Derby - Angelstone - Sept 1 $5,000 Desjardins Caisse des Rivières Chaudière et Etchemin Hunter Derby - Concours Hippique de Lévis -Sept 10 ** Sponsorship available. Please visit Hunter- Derby.Ca for class specs results and more infor- mation


Fitness For Riders: Ride Long and Strong


organize itself to make you


taller (and


straighter), allowing your seat to sink down- ward to connection with the horse’s back without you collapsing, and without tension. The two points are


By Heather Sansom. This month’s fittip takes its


inspiration from the recent issue of Dressage Today. Even if you are not a dressage rider, these points are relevant because they’re about self-carriage, which we all need. I describe the two points briefly below, and then connect them to what you can be doing in your fitness program to help you. The first discussion was


about how to get more lateral symmetry in your seatbones. In other words, how to make sure your weight is evenly distributed in your seat- the golden holy grail of any riding style. The article when on to talk about body awareness about where tension might be located, blocking you from sitting evenly. The second discussion was


about how to get your hips to fol- low the horse by carrying your- self taller. Unless you are a very highly accomplished professional rider, you’re probably with me in thinking we can all carry our- selves better. The suggestion from the article was to raise one of your arms in front of you and up slightly (holding reins in one hand) to encourage your body to


related. Exercise you can do in the saddle to be aware and to lengthen your back will help you carry yourself above the movement of the horse, which helps your hips stay supple. A common mistake made by riders who fall or lean, or weight to one side, is to try and fix the problem by an opposite action. Many riders end up obsessed with com- pensating movements that are all about lateral direction (move my right shoulder so my left side doesn’t collapse, shift to left because my seat bones are falling to the right). There are movements like this that can be really useful depending on the situation. However, when you’re too


focused on a virtual see-saw of adjustments , it’s like having a physical argument you can’t win. When you train your body to be straighter, you literally rise above the argument. As when you are riding: aim where you want to be, not where you don’t want to be. Aim your training at the goal of carrying yourself straight and long. You will become more symmetrical. You will uncon- sciously undo some of the a sym-


straight line. Next stretch the top of your head and your heels as far away from each other as possible. Keep on making that stretch through the length of your plank. Any plank you can do, will do: el- bows, full hands, in- cline, part of your body supported on a chair, or on your knees. Wher- ever you are at with planks, you can be suc- cessful turning it into a straightness training ac- tivity. Here’s


a caution


metrical patterns that pull at you while you are riding. Part of training yourself to


be long and straight involves just thinking about it in everything you do. If you already have an exercise routine that you’re working on right now, approach it for a week or two with a new lens: make everything about long, straight and symmetrical. The other thing you can do,


is add in some exercises for a couple of weeks which help you train. This month I have some suggestions 1. The plank. It’s a standby I love. You can make it about long and straight by looking down at the ground so your spine is in a


though: most people ac- tually subtly hold more of their weight with the dominant side of their body. To make sure you’re not doing this, introduce some kind of instability, like your hands or feet (or knees


or elbows) on a balance board, cushion, home made balance board (a board and a pool noodle work in a pinch!), a BOSU, wob- ble board…you get the idea.


2. Overhead reach in a squatting or lunging position. Most people know how to perform a squat or lunge. Get in squat or lunge po- sition, and then push your hands up overhead (they can meet, you can hook your thumbs together, hold a weight or a kettlebell). Your arms should be going past your ears. Your goal is not to have your maximum shoulder press weight load. A single 8lb weight would do for most people. If you are male or have strong


shoulders, use more. If you have shoulder impingement and can’t lift your arms past your ears, just use your arm weight. As you reach your arms up,


stretch your hands and the point of your seat bone as far away from each other as possible. It’s like forming a kind of plank po- sition, but between your hands and seat, instead of between your shoulders and feet as when you do a regular plank on the floor. You want to aim more at the ceil- ing than the wall with your arms, so your squat is not that deep. If you need some strength building in your shoulders, your squat might be really tiny, and your arms reaching up more directly toward the ceiling. Squat or lunge slightly,


reach, hold and stretch 5-10 sec- onds, then release (bring arms down, stand up straight). When you are pretty confident about this movement, do it standing on a destabilizing surface such as a trampoline or those mentioned above. You will need to think UP, while dropping your centre of gravity DOWN to do it success- fully.


Once you have the motion,


you can play with it in different ways that connect back to your riding. You can make the move- ment faster (no long hold, maybe no weight). If you ride over ob- stacles, you can do this exercise repeatedly as if you were jump- ing a gymnastic. With every jump, your seat goes down (actu- ally your legs fold to let the horse come up) and your hands and upper body go up (so you don’t collapse on your horse’s fore- hand).


You have more potential than you realise. Happy riding and train- ing!


© Heather R. Sansom Equifitt offers coaching for riders that helps with fitness, posture and biomechanics to help you ride better. Most services including riding instruction are available by Skype. Equifitt: www.equifitt.com


If your seat is primarily in


the saddle, you can modify the exercise to a mostly upright posi- tion, and repeat it at the fre- quency of your horse’s trot. With every stride, down goes the seat a little, and the hands push up a little (their default position has to be over your head all the time for this one, with little extra upward pushes each ‘stride’). You are training yourself to carry your body up off the horse, while al- lowing your back to become long and drop your centre of gravity. This allows your back to be more supple. When you translate this training into the saddle, the part you press up is the top of your head so that your spine lengthens from the top of your head to your tailbone. When you get longer and


straighter, many of the asymme- try issues you were struggling with tend to disappear on their own. Many still need work, but you are heading toward what you want instead of wrestling with your own body while trying to ride.


Happy Riding and Training! a n t s . Contact Laura at: http://www.kawarthaappaloosa.com/


Championship and International Appaloosa Futurity at True North Ranch, Indian River For more


information. go to


Send in all your Fall 2017 Show Dates!


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